Dr Meera Varadharajan

Meera Varadharajan is a Research Fellow (Education) at the Centre for Social Impact at University of New South Wales. She has a lead role in managing and undertaking applied research and social impact projects in the area of education. In 2022, Meera has led and completed a series of reports on education inequity. During her time at CSI, she has worked on a range of projects and program evaluations such as on carers' experiences during COVID, evaluation of youth mentoring programs; young indigenous post prison outcomes; support and infrastructure needs in social housing pathways and service innovation during COVID. Meera has also published policy response factsheets during COVID on teacher well-being and home learning considerations for students in vulnerable circumstances.  

As a qualitative researcher, she is passionate about connecting human stories and experiences in projects and program evaluations that serve as an enabler to drive purposeful social change in society. Her core research interests include student and teacher well-being, teacher education, teachers’ lives and educational philosophy.

Meera has experience working in the business and education sector in a wide variety of roles. Meera’s thesis examined the lived experience of career change teachers using an interpretive and phenomenological approach. Her doctoral and subsequent work on career change teachers has been recognised by leading teaching bodies, and she has received several external and internal research grants including from the NSW Department of Education. In 2021, she published a book on career change teachers. 

Meera is also a steering committee member of the Refugee Education Special Interest Group.